After being exiled with her husband and children, she returned with great power to rule the world

The emperor took the envelope, opened it with trembling hands, pulled out the letter and confession inside, and his expression became more gloomy the more he looked at it.

After reading it, he threw it fiercely in front of Master Ji and said, "Look for yourself, what are these? The evidence is irrefutable. What else do you have to say?"

Master Ji picked up the paper on the ground, glanced at it with empty eyes, and then collapsed to the ground, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

He knew that his career and the fate of his family would probably change completely at this moment. His heart was filled with regret and unwillingness. He hated himself for underestimating his opponent, and hated himself even more for his momentary greed and confusion, which dragged the entire family into an abyss of no return.

However, the emperor's anger did not subside.

"Grand Tutor Ji, you have deceived the emperor and committed heinous crimes. Not only have you made me a laughing stock of the world, but you have also seriously damaged the dignity of the royal family and the discipline of the court. If I don't severely punish you today, how can I explain to the world?" The emperor stood up and looked down at Grand Tutor Ji, his eyes full of disgust and determination.

"Come here, throw Master Ji into jail and await your punishment! The entire Ji family will be executed, leaving no one behind!"

Following the emperor's order, several guards immediately rushed forward and lifted up Master Ji.

At this moment, Master Ji no longer had the strength to resist and allowed the guards to drag him out.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty..." Master Ji's pleading voice gradually disappeared outside the hall, leaving only a dead silence in the empty hall.

Everyone watching this scene understood that a major purge of the court was about to begin, and this was just the beginning.

For so many years, the emperor has been courteous to Master Ji and obeyed his orders on the surface, but deep down in his heart, the suppressed frustration and resentment are like a volcano that may erupt at any time.

Taifu Ji relied on the fact that he was a veteran of three dynasties and that his students and former officials were all over the court. He usually had the final say in the court and did not take the emperor seriously at all.

Every time the emperor wanted to implement a new policy, he would be obstructed by Ji Taifu and a group of ministers. He was the emperor in name only and was restricted in every way.

Now, looking at the miserable appearance of Master Ji, the old emperor felt so happy that he couldn't express it in words. He straightened his back, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and revealed a barely perceptible sneer.

I thought to myself, this old guy who has been so powerful, who has always been riding on my head and bullying me, and who is known as the leader of the literary world, is finally going to fall. All these years of frustration will finally be vented today.

At this moment, the anger in his heart had long since disappeared. He felt that even the stuffy air in the hall had become fresh and comfortable, and every breath was filled with joy.

……

The situation is turbulent and all parties are making plans!

In this seemingly calm but actually turbulent palace, Concubine Rong is still trapped in her own palace, completely unaware of the changes in the outside world, and even less aware that the Ji family has already fallen.

She paced back and forth in the palace all day, her eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation, hoping that the eldest prince would return to the capital as soon as possible so that they could implement the long-planned plan together.

Her palace was still luxurious, but the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people breathless. The palace maids and eunuchs were all very cautious, for fear of angering the increasingly moody concubine.

Inside the East Palace, the lights were on. Zhao Wei's secret guards appeared silently in front of Crown Prince Zhao Hao like ghosts, knelt on one knee, and looked respectful and a little excited.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is on his way back to the capital, riding non-stop. The Second Prince has also assembled a large number of troops at the border. Judging from the situation, he is preparing to march into the capital."

"Also, Duke Rong's Mansion is getting restless. They've secretly contacted many court officials and are exchanging letters frequently. It seems they're completely ready to break off relations with us."

Zhao Wei finished speaking in one breath, raised his head, his eyes flashing with excitement. After years of frustration, he finally waited until the critical moment of this power game. He was excited for the prince from the bottom of his heart.

Zhao Wei stood aside, his hands clenched, his face full of eagerness to try.

"Prince, with this move, there's no turning back. We've been planning for a long time, and now it's time to take action!"

Zhao Hao's expression was calm, his posture erect, revealing the demeanor of a crown prince. He nodded slightly, his gaze deep, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "They're courting their own demise. There's nothing to fear, but..."

He frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes. "Those mysterious forces that my father has nurtured are ruthless and secretive. If my father knew about Chu Lingfeng's role in this struggle, given his suspicious nature, it would probably be detrimental to Chu Lingfeng."

"Since ancient times, those who have achieved great success and threatened their rulers have often met with a bad end. General Chu is loyal to me, and I really don't want him to suffer this misfortune."

Zhao Wei was slightly startled when he heard this, and then he realized the concerns in the Crown Prince's heart. He scratched his head, thought for a moment and said, "Crown Prince, perhaps we can secretly send someone to protect General Chu and try not to let the Emperor realize his key role in this."

As the two were talking, Zhao Wei began to analyze the situation with great interest. "Crown Prince, in my opinion, we should take this opportunity to severely inflict damage on the eldest prince. We should set up an ambush in a secluded place, and ideally cripple him. That way, when the palace coup occurs, he will lose his eligibility to inherit the throne, and we will have one less formidable opponent."

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light. "Furthermore, if the First Prince is disabled, Concubine Rong and her followers will surely place all their hopes on the Second Prince. However, the Second Prince has been exiled by the Emperor, disdained by him. Bringing troops into the capital without being summoned is a grave crime. Before he even enters the city, he will likely be surrounded by the Imperial Guards sent by our father and thrown directly into prison."

Zhao Hao listened, his expression gradually becoming serious. He frowned slightly and said, "Although this plan is good, it is too bloody. After all, we are all royal blood. It is not good to kill brothers."

Zhao Wei quickly said, "The Crown Prince is kind, but the struggles within the imperial family have always been brutal. If we don't take this opportunity to completely eradicate them, they will become a serious threat in the future. Once the First and Second Princes fall, the Rongguo Mansion will be left without a legitimate cause. Those courtiers who rely on them will not do anything foolish and will surely scatter."

Zhao Hao sighed and nodded slowly: "Forget it, if doing this can reduce unnecessary casualties and end this dispute as soon as possible, it can be regarded as a helpless move."

The master and servant discussed the plan for a long time, carefully considering every detail from personnel arrangements to timing.

Before we knew it, the sky outside the window gradually darkened, and it was not until dusk that the specific details were finally finalized.

~~~

Hundreds of miles away in Yuecheng, the wind was cold and the snow was falling heavily, and the sky and the earth were covered in white.

The eldest prince and his entourage were hurrying back against the wind and snow. The sound of horses' hooves left traces on the snow, which were quickly covered by the new snow.

In order to prevent their whereabouts from being exposed, they did not even dare to enter the post station along the way. They slept in the open air and were exhausted.

"Your Highness, the snow is getting heavier. I'm afraid we won't be able to continue our journey tonight."

The guards around the eldest prince looked tired and their voices were a little hoarse.

Since receiving the news from Beijing, they have been traveling non-stop for days and are exhausted. Now the wind is as cold as a knife and the snow is flying heavily, which is really not conducive to moving forward.

The eldest prince sat on his horse, his body straight. Although his face was full of fatigue, his eyes were still firm. He was full of worries. Thinking of his mother's life experience, he still found it hard to believe.

Thinking of his father's urgent summons, he felt even more uneasy, especially when he later received a letter from the Rongguo Mansion. The words in the letter were obscure but revealed urgency, which made him even more frightened.

It was not until the guard spoke to remind him again that he noticed the fatigue of his men.

The eldest prince raised his hand and rubbed his brow, then slowly exhaled: "Alright, let's find a place to set up camp that's sheltered from the wind."

"Yes, sir. I'll arrange it right away." The guard took the order and left. Soon, the team stopped and set up camp in a valley.